The Five Boroughs

New York City is made up of five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Each one has enough attractions—and enough personality—to be a city all its own. Learn more about them with this guide.

Lincoln Center. Photo: Joe Buglewicz

Entertainment
If downtown is defined by rock 'n' roll and Midtown is all about Broadway’s glitz and glamour, the Upper West Side is where highbrow entertainment hits its highest notes. Exhibit A: Lincoln Center, a 16.3-acre complex that's home to 11 performing arts organizations—among them the New York Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet. Before a show or after the curtain falls, relax by the fountain on the campus' sprawling plaza, or come early enough to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the campus and its venues. North along Broadway stands the Beacon Theatre, an art deco music hall that opened its doors in 1929. The landmark space has hosted such stars as Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers, who played their final shows there in fall 2014; it was also the site of the 2011 and 2012 Tony Awards. One stop uptown on the 2 or 3 train gets you to Symphony Space, where two theaters showcase music, dance, comedy, drama, readings and screenings; the on-site café-bar hosts jazz sessions, cabaret and the occasional literary salon.